This disclosure relates generally to ultra-wideband radar antennas, and more particularly to the use of ultra-wideband radar antennas by altimeters of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The proliferated use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for a variety of mission operations has increased a need for accurate height sensing of UAVs (often referred to as drones) relative to surfaces over which the UAV may fly, hover, or land upon. Accurate height sensing is important for both navigation of the UAV as well as for logistical operations, such as the safe and effective delivery of goods to consumers and businesses. For instance, some vendors have begun using UAVs to deliver supplies to locations more efficiently than ground or waterway transport methods can offer. Moreover, the use of relatively small UAVs has enabled the delivery of supplies in a more individualized capacity to locations that may otherwise be inaccessible to traditional transport aircraft. Such UAVs, however, typically have limited size, weight, and electrical power capacity available for components of the UAV in an effort to limit the overall size of the UAV, as well as to increase its available cargo carrying capacity and operational range.
Accordingly, operational success of UAVs to accomplish a variety of missions, including the transport and delivery of supplies, can be enhanced through the use of an altimeter having low size and weight, as well as low electrical power demand requirements to provide accurate altitude information of the UAV above a target location and ensure damage-free arrival of the supplies to a recipient, whether the UAV is expected to land, drop the supplies from a predefined altitude, or lower the supplies from a hovering position with, e.g., a tethered harness.